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TRANSCRIPT
Sant
iago
de
Com
post
ela
Spai
n
WORLD HER I TAGE C I T Y
P O R T U G A L
F R A N C E
U N I T E D K I N G D O M
M O R O C C O
A L G E R I A
Santiagode Compostela
Paris
London
Lisbon
CeutaMelilla
Cantabrian Sea
S P A I N
Mediterranean Sea
AtlanticOcean
I R E L A N D
Dublin
Madrid
2 ..................... Introduction
4 ..................... Getting there
5 ..................... Where to stay
5 ..................... Practical advice
6 ..................... Itineraries in the City
23 ................... Museums and art centres
28 ................... Parks and gardens
29 ................... Cultural activities and entertainment
30 ................... Art Galleries and antique-shops
30 ................... For golf enthusiasts
31 ................... Eating and drinking
32 ................... Shopping
33 ................... Night-life
34 ................... Fiestas of general interest
35 ................... Trade fairs
36 ................... Getting around the city
36 ................... Post offices
37 ................... Emergency services
38 ................... Excursions from Santiago
45 ................... Tourist information
46.................... Map of the province
48 ................... City Map
Index ofSantiago
Recently declared by UNESCO to be a WorldHeritage Site, and built on a hill encircled by theriver Sar and its tributary the river Sarela,Santiago de Compostela is situated in the north-east of Spain in the province of A Coruña.
Santiago de Compostela was born from a legend:the discovery in 813 A.D. of the sepulchre of St.James the Apostle who was beheaded in 44 A.D. inPalestine. King Alfonso II visited the site and ord-ered a modest temple and monastery to be built,erecting the center around which the city later grew.
Alfonso III built the ancient basilica at the end ofthe 9th Century. It was destroyed during theMoorish invasion of Almanzor in the year 997 A.D.which completely devastated the city. Santiago wasrebuilt and encircled by a wall. In 1075 A.D.Bishop Diego Peláez began the building-works onthe cathedral, which continued under the efficientsupervision of Bishop Diego Gelmírez, a key figurein the development of the city.
The 11th and 12th Centuries were the hey-days ofthe pilgrimages to Compostela. The Pilgrim’s roadto Santiago de Compostela was an extremely effi-cient means of scientific, artistic and literary com-munication. Within the unmistakably rural regionof Galicia, Santiago became an important centre
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SANTIAGOI ntroduction
of economic and cultural activity, a melting pot ofdistant cultures and civilizations. At the end of the12th Century the master-craftsman Mateo built thePórtico de la Gloria (Gateway to Glory).
The end of the 14th Century witnessed the start ofa turbulent period which lasted into the 15thCentury. The arrival of Archbishop Fonseca, thefounder of the University, marked the beginningof the Renaissance in Compostela. It was theCatholic Monarchs who brought the Court to thecity in 1501. In 1534 the Royal Hospital andColegio de Fonseca were built.
At the end of the 17th Century it was the archbish-ops and religious orders who promoted theBaroque building frenzy which created a schoolof its own in the 18th Century. This style pervadesthe historic center of Santiago –the cathedral, themonasteries and the churches– and gives it theunique character which persists today.
Apart from being famous for its university, mon-uments and religious and commercial activity,this city of 105,000 inhabitants is also a majorcentre of administration, having become the capi-tal of the Autonomous Community of Galicia in1982. It is the seat of the Xunta (regional govern-ment), the regional parliament and other regio-nal administrative institutions. The city plays animportant role in the timber industry. It is alsoextremely well connected to the outside, beingcentrally situated between the most importanturban centres in Galicia. Two official languagesexist side-by-side in Galicia: Spanish andGalician.
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4
Gettingthere
B y air- The international airport ofSantiago is situated inLavacolla, 11 km fromSantiago via the main N-547road.
Airport Information: ☎ 981 54 75 00SERVIBERIA☎ 902 400 500www.iberia.comPassenger Terminal: ☎ 981 54 75 01Freight Terminal: ☎ 981 59 99 44
B y train- Two trains daily fromMadrid (the Talgo and theExpress Rías Altas) and onefrom Bilbao. Fourteen dailytrains from A Coruña, elevenfrom Vigo and eight fromOurense. Connections toPortugal via Vigo.(three trains daily connectthis city with Oporto), andconnections to France viathe A Coruña-Vigo-Barcelonaline.
RENFE railway station:Calle HórreoRENFE information: ☎ 902 24 02 02www.renfe.es
B y road- Take the A-9 motorway fromSantiago going north toA Coruña and Ferrol; goingsouth, the motorway goesalong the Rías Bajas passingby Pontevedra and Vigo,reaching the Portugueseborder at Tui.
- From Madrid to Santiago deCompostela, take the main N-VI road to A Coruña andfrom there the A-9 motorway.
Guardia Civil de Tráfico(Road police)☎ 981 58 22 66Central Bus Station: San Cayetano. ☎ 981 58 77 00
Distances by road fromSantiago de Compostela tothe main cities in Galicia:
A Coruña ............ 65 kmFerrol . ................. 102 kmLugo ................... 105 kmOurense .............. 110 kmPontevedra .......... 56 kmVigo ................... 90 km
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Where tostay
- The choice of accommodation in Santiago de Compostelaincludes two 5-star hotels (381 rooms), three 4-star hotels (627 rooms) and four 3-star hotels (617 rooms), apart fromnumerous other cheaper options.- One of the 5-star hotels, the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos, whichis included in the list of «Paradores de Turismo» or State Hotels,occupies the beautiful 16th Century Royal Hospital building.
Paradores de Turismo. Rersevation Centre ☎ 91 516 66 66. Fax 91 516 66 57www.parador.es
Practicaladvice
- The climate of Santiago is typical of the spanish Atlantic coast:wet winters with frequent rain which, in light or heavy bursts,lasts from September to June. The summers are slightly less rainythan the rest of the Cantabrian coast. Temperatures remain mildthroughout the whole year with a yearly average of 19° C. Theydrop down to about an average of about 8° C in January, thecoldest month. Umbrellas and water-proof clothing are,therefore, essential elements of the visitor’s luggage.
- Banks are open to the public from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mondayto Friday. The 5-star, 4-star and 3-star hotels also have bureau dechange facilities. Hotels, restaurants and most shops accept creditcards.
The lay-out of Santiago de Compostela is that of the typical walledmedieval city. Born of and for the cathedral, the city radiates outfrom this building, running along a north-south axis, the only pos-sible line along which it could develop because of the nature of theterrain. The main streets of the old quarter, the Rúa do Franco, theRúa do Vilar and the Rúa Nova, are centered around this axis. Thewall survived until the end of last century, and although it waslater torn down, the city which it encircled remained. Narrowstreets, alley-ways, squares and half-squares reveal stunningviews such as the squares of La Quintana, La Inmaculada and SanMartín. It is a city of stone, a city to be walked in and discovered.Santiago is still surrounded by orchards.
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Itineraries in theCity
Cathedral of Santiago
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This impressive square opensout in an enormous, almostmoving sweep, comprisingmagnificent buildings whichrepresent a thousand years ofhistory and architecture.
The College of San Jerónimo(1), which lies to the south,was founded in 1501 and itsfaçade comes from the oldhospital for pilgrims in theSquare of La Inmaculada. Onthe west side, opposite thefront of the cathedral, lies theNeoclassical building of PazoRaxoi (2) which was built in
the Antiguo Hospital Real(Royal Hospital) (3) whichwas built at the beginning ofthe 16th Century for the careof pilgrims and subsidised bythe Catholic MonarchsIsabella and Ferdinand. ThePlateresque façade mixesClassical motifs in itsvariegated ornamentationwith Gothic pinnacles andbaldachins, whilst the saintsare depicted in the nichesalong with the symbols whichhave come to identify them inChristian tradition. The rest of
1766. The relief-work of thepediment, finished in whitemarble, depicts the Battle ofClavijo and is crowned by arepresentation of SantiagoMatamoros (Santiago Killer ofMoors). The rooms inside aredecorated with 19th and 20thCentury paintings.Nowadays, this palace is theheadquarters of the«Consello» or Town Hall ofSantiago de Compostela andthe «Presidencia de la Xunta»or regional government.
The Square of El Obradoiro isclosed on the north side by
I. The Square ofEl Obradoiro
Carre
tas
Bispo
Xelm
irez
R. da Raiña
Rúa do Villar
Fonseca
Rúa de Raxoi
Trinidade
C. do C
risto
R. das Hortas
Catedral
Casa del Dean
Praza doObradoiro
Praza daQuintana
Rúa da
Conga
Igrexa deSan Fructuoso
Praza dasPraterias
Rúa do Franco
PP
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the main front contrasts withthis part of the façadebecause of its sober style,broken only by the gargoyleson the cornices, and by thebalconies which were addedin 1678. The chapel is usedas an exhibition and concerthall. The building is presentlya luxury hotel which formspart of the network of StateHotels or «Paradores deTurismo», the Hostal de losReyes Católicos.
The Obradoiro Façade, themain cathedral front, withoutany doubt dominates thesquare which derives itsname from it. Built between1738 and 1750 by thearchitect Fernando de Casasy Novoa, it rises betweentwo twin towers which wereoriginally Romanesque butwere later converted to aBaroque style. The height ofthe façade gives it apersonality of its own, whilstat the same time joining thetowers to the whole,dominated by an image ofSantiago over an urn. Largewindows illuminate theinterior of the building andon the sides, almost lostamongst the exuberantfeatures of the façade, wecan see various sculptures bydifferent Galician Baroque
artists depicting the disciplesand family of Santiago.
The Gelmírez Palace (4),which extends to the left ofthe Obradoiro Façade, is thejewel in the crown of layRomanesque architecture inSpain. It was constructedbetween the 12th and 13thCenturies on the initiative ofthe ambitious andenterprising bishop of thetime. The austerity of thefaçade contrasts with thesplendour of the interior witha pervading atmospherereminiscent of the MiddleAges. The refectory standsout with its six series ofdomes supported by corbels,representing a veritabledocumentary in stone ofdaily life in the Middle Ages.To the right of the cathedralis the Renaissance-stylecloister building (5) whichgrew up around the internalcloisters.
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Pazo Raxoi
The Cathedral (6) has beenthe key to the city’s identityfor centuries. The city grewup around it. Although theexterior has undergonesuccessive renovation works,the interior has basically beenpreserved intact. It is, in fact,the most valuable legacy ofthe Romanesque style.
Via the Obradoiro Façade weenter the Pórtico de la Gloria(Gateway to Glory) which wasconstructed by the master-craftsman Mateo in 1188. The
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II. The Cathedral
Pórtico is made up of threearches. Presiding over thecentral arch, the most majestic,is a figure of Christ surroundedby the four evangelists. Eightangels carry the symbols of thePassion. The archivolts supportthe 24 old men of theApocalypse. The tree of Davidis represented on the mullionand above it is a statue of St.James (Santiago); on the otherside, we see the popular«Santo dos Croques» (Saint ofthe bumps), so-called becauseof the popular belief thatbumping one’s head against
the stone increases intelligence,which is supposed to be a self-portrait of the master-craftsmanMateo. On the left archappear various characters fromthe Old Testament, and on thejambs, the four prophets. Theright-hand arch symbolizes theFinal Judgment in which thesinners are devoured byfantastic monsters.
Through the Portico de laGloria we gain access to theinside of the cathedral, thejewel in the crown of
Rúa Nova
Monasteriode San Pelayo
Praza daInmaculada
Casa de la Parra
Rúa
Xelm
irez
Rúa da Raiña
Rúa do Villar
Fonseca
R. de
Raxoi
C. do C
risto
Pazode Raxoi(Ayto.)
Casa del Dean
Colexio deSan Jerónimo
Praza doObradoiro
Praza daQuintana
Rúa da C
onga
Pazo deXelmirez
Praza dasPraterias
Rúa do Franco
HotelReyes Catolicos
(antiguo Hospital Real)
de
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Romanesque architecture,embellished over thecenturies. It was begun in1075, based on a Latin crosslay-out of three naves. Theleft-hand nave contains theChapel of Cristo de Burgos,based on a Greek cross lay-out, and upon reaching thetransept we see the Chapel ofLa Comunión, built accordingto an unusual circular design.Turning left at the transept wefind the Chapel of SantaCatalina which served as aroyal pantheon until the 16thCentury. On the other side ofthe Azabachería Gate, thefirst chapel we see is theChapel of San Antonio whichdates from 1102. A smallstairway leads to La Corticela,a church which was foundedin the 12th Century and laterannexed to the cathedral. Itpreserves its 13th Centuryfaçade as well as a «smalltemple» intimacy whichcontrasts with the solemnity ofthe cathedral.
Near La Corticela transept isthe 17th Century Chapel ofSan Andrés. The ambulatoryruns round the Mayor Chapeland from there a series ofchapels open out. The Chapelof San Juan Apóstol, ofRomanesque origin, was
restored in the 16th Centuryand again in the 17thCentury. Then we see theChapel of Nuestra Señora laBlanca which was built overthe old gates to the cathedraland dates from the 13thCentury. The Chapel of ElSalvador is the most set backfrom the ambulatory; theconstruction of the cathedralbegan around this chapelwhich has an interestingPlateresque altar-piece.Between this chapel and theChapel of La Azucena is theentrance to the Puerta Santa(Saint’s Gate) which is wherethe pilgrims were issued theslips which allowed them tolodge free of charge at theHospital Real (RoyalHospital). Continuing on, wesee the 16th Century Chapelof Mondragón which wasbuilt in Late Gothic style. Thebeautiful Chapel of El Pilar,constructed at the end of the17th Century, is the lastchapel on the ambulatory,used as a vestry. BishopMonroy later made it hispantheon.
The transept nave isundoubtedly the most solemnspot in the cathedral. Thelantern is Gothic withBaroque detail. From this
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point hangs the Botafumeiro,the enormous censer whichswings spectacularly from oneof the nave to the otherduring days of solemncelebration. The Baroquealtar of the Main Chapel risesabove the crypt whichcontains the remains of St.James the Apostle. The statueof the Apostle dates from1211, and the vestments andjewels which adorn it datefrom the 17th Century. In theright-hand nave, a hall areaprovides access to theremaining two chapels. TheChapel of San Fernando, onthe left, is the cathedralTreasury which has proudlyguarded the 16th Centurygold and silver which isdeposited there. The Chapelof Las Reliquias (Chapel ofthe Relics), with its pointeddome, houses the tombs of
monarchs from the 12th, 13thand 14th Century.
One of the doors along theright-hand branch of thetransept leads to the cloisters.They were initially constructedin the 16th Century in aGothic style which is reflectedin the columns and thepinnacles of the buttresses,although the Plateresquedecorations later came todominate the cloisters. TheTreasury and cloister routesare two paths which can betaken around the cathedral;the third leads to the cryptand Old Cathedral which canbe reached via the Obradoirosteps. These were built by themaster-craftsman Mateo tocompensate for the differencein level of the terrain and tosupport the Pórtico de laGloria.
Square of El Obradoiro. Cathedral façade
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III. The Squaresof Platerías, La Quintana and La Azabachería
The strongly characteristicsquares which surround thecathedral to the south, westand north play an importantrole in the medieval design ofSantiago de Compostela.
From the foot of the Puerta dePlaterías (Platerías Gate)belonging to the cathedral, thesquare of Platerías opens out,so-called because it wastraditionally here that thesilversmiths («plateros») guildwas located. The Casa delCabildo (Town Hall) (7),opposite the cathedral, has a
strictly Compostela-stylefaçade dating from the18th Century. It inspiredValle-Inclán’s story Mihermana Antonia (My sisterAntonia) in the same way thatthe Fountain of Los Caballosinspired Lorca to write thepoem Danza da Lúa enSantiago (Dance of the Moon in Santiago). The PlateríasFaçade is the only one ofRomanesque style which thecathedral has preserved. It datesfrom 1103 although some of theelements which make up thedoorway have been taken fromother buildings. The façade is
organized around the centralfigure of Christ. The right-handtympanum portrays theflagellation of the Messiah andthe left-hand tympanum
Church of San Paio
Azabacheria
Bispo
Xelm
irez
Rúa Nova
R. da Raiña
Rúa do Villar
Fonseca
C. do C
risto
MonasterioSan Martín
Pinario
Catedral
Casa del Dean
Praza doObradoiro
Praza doInmaculada
Praza deCervantes
Praza daQuintana
Rúa da C
onga
Casa dela Troya
San Bento Ant. CasaConsistorial
Iglexa deSan Fructuoso
Pazo deXelmirez
Pazode Raxoi(Ayto.)
HotelReyes Catolicos
(antiguo Hospital Real)
Colexio deSan Jerónimo
PP
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98 7
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represents temptation. Thejambs, the corners of thearches and both sides of thefaçade contain a multitude ofsmall figures in a magnificentdisplay the imaginative andstory-telling qualities of theRomanesque style. Finally, theTreasury Façade, built in fullRenaissance style in 1540, islocated on the outside of thecloisters.
Between the back of thecathedral and the monasteryof San Paio de Antealtares theSquare of La Quintana opensout. This square, filled with themagical atmosphere of amultitude of legends, waspreviously a cemetery. Herestands the Clock Tower, alsocalled the Tower of the Trinity,which was finished at the endof the 14th Century.Converted in the 18th Centuryinto a Baroque filigree, thetower is famous for its bell,known as La Berenguela. At itsbase, the sumptuous PuertaReal (Royal Gate) once againconceals the Romanesquenature of the cathedral. ThePuerta Santa (Holy Gate) isdecorated with Romanesquesculptures which were takenfrom the old choir, the work ofthe master-craftsman Mateo. Atthe top of the square which iscalled «La Quintana deVivos», the Casa de la
Parra (8), built at the end ofthe 17th Century, displays itsunusual decoration consistingof clusters of fruit. The Casa daConga (9) (from «canónigo» orcanon) occupies virtually thewhole southern side of thesquare of La Quintana. Thisbig beautiful building wasfinished at the beginning ofthe 18th Century.
The austere Convent of SanPaio closes off the easternapproach to the square in acircular lay-out. Wooden grillescover the windows of thissober façade. The Church ofSan Paio (10), which belongsto the monastery, looks ontothe «Via Sacra» or Holy Way.Founded in 1707, the churchcontains some interestingaltarpieces and a Roman altar-stone, used as such by the firstdisciples of the Apostle.
Formerly, the jet-stoneworkers’ guild gatheredaround the north entrance tothe cathedral. The Puerta dela Azabachería (AzabacheríaGate) stands here, occupyingthe place of the oldRomanesque Gate ofParadise. Born of Baroquestyle, it was transformed intoa Neoclassical construction,producing an uneven resultand the least attractive viewof the cathedral.
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IV. The monasteries
Some superb buildings revealthe importance of thereligious orders to the historyof Santiago. Along with theConvents of San Paio andSan Francisco and theimpressive Monastery of SanMartiño, this itinerary includesother more modest buildingswhich are, nevertheless, veryrich in artistic terms.The main façade of theMonastery of San Paio deAntealtares (11) looks onto theSquare of Feixoó. Dating backto the 18th Century, the relief-work on the doorway depictsthe escape to Egypt. The
we arrive in the small squareof Casa Reais, a name whichrefers to the large number ofpalaces which were builtthere, of which two survivetoday: Fondevila (14) and thePazo Viejo del Conde de Aranda (Old Palace of theCount of Aranda) (15).The square is closed off atone end by the NeoclassicalChurch of Las Ánimas (16).The pediment, unusual inCatholic iconography, depictsthe torments of hell and soulsin agony. Inside the church,the group of sculpturesdepicting The Passion.
present building, dating fromthe 17th and 18th Centuries,was built on the site of a 12thCentury convent. Themonastery shares the Square ofFeixoó with the Casa delCanónigo Juan Somoza (Houseof Canon Juan Somoza) (12). At the top of the squarestands the Church of SanBento (13) which was built onthe site of a 10th Centurytemple and was modified inthe times of Bishop Gelmírez.Its Gothic altar and the groupof Romanesque sculpturesdepicting the Adoration of theMagi have been preserved.From the corner of San Bentoand via the street of Traversa
Rúa de AltamiraRúa de
Ánimas
R. de San Paio
Portada Pena
Azabacheria
Preguntorio
San Agustín
Bispo
Xelm
irez
C. do C
risto
Carretas
San Francisco
R. do Val de Dios
HotelReyes Catolicos
(antiguo Hospital Real)
Catedral
Igrexade San FizConvento
San Agustín
Praza doObradoiro
Praza doInmaculadaMoeda Vella
Xerusalen
Troia
Praza deCervantes
Algalla de Abaixo
Praza daQuintana
Rúa da C
onga
Casa dela Troya
Santa Maríadel Camiño
Ant. CasaConsistorial
Casa de la Parra
Igrexa deSan Fructuoso
Pazo delArzobispoXelmirez
Rúa de
Rúa Travesa
Praza deS Agostiño
Pazode Raxoi(Ayto.)
12
San
F
rancisco
PP
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The Algalias de Arriba(higher) and Algalias deAbajo (lower) were the streetsof the «chocolaterías» (cafesserving drinking chocolate);by crossing them we reach theMuseo de las Perigrinaciones(Pilgrimage Museum) (17)which is situated virtually atthe entrance to the Square ofSan Miguel, presided over bythe Church of San Miguel dosAgros (18). This church,which dates back to the 9thCentury, was destroyed bythe Moors at the end of the10th Century. Gelmírezordered it to be rebuilt in the12th Century, although thecurrent appearance of thebuilding owes more to therenovations carried out in the15th, 18th and 19thCenturies.
The Square of San Migueljoins with the Square of SanMartín, forming a single areaoverlooked by the façade ofthe Church of San Martín (19).This impressive church, built in1597, belongs to theMonastery of San MartínPinario. The façade isRenaissance although thecolumns reveal Plateresqueelements. The bell tower andthe curved steps joined to thefaçade are two of the imageswhich have come to symbolizethe city of Santiago. Thechurch contains a magnificentBaroque altarpiece and the
choir-stalls constitute a 17thCentury masterpiece.Via the streets of Abril Aresand Moeda Vella we reachthe Square of La Inmaculada,the extension of the Square ofLa Azabachería. Opposite thecathedral stands the mainfaçade of the Monastery ofSan Martín Pinario (20), animmense building which wasconstructed between the 17thand 18th Centuries on the siteof a 10th Century monastery.A large ornamental combcrowns the sumptuous façade.The twenty thousand squarefeet of this building areconnected by three longcloisters.The street of Val de Dios runsalong the façade, or rather,the western wall of SanMartiño, leading to theMonastery of San Francisco(21). Founded at thebeginning of the 16th Centuryand rebuilt during the 17thand 18th Centuries, thismonastery owes its beginningto the pilgrimage undertakenby San Francisco himself toCompostela. The temple, thework of Simón Rodríguez, isone of the most beautifulexamples of CompostelaBaroque. The street of SanFrancisco leads directly intothe Square of El Obradoiro.This is where the Faculty ofMedicine (22) building islocated.
Although the buildings camelater, the lay-out for the RúasFranco, Vilar and Nova dateback to the time of BishopGelmírez in the 12th Century.The streets were originallycompletely flanked bycolonnades but, as a result oftheir vulnerability to fires, theywere partially destroyed.Santiago displays the full forceof its charm in these streets.
The Faxeira Gate was one ofthe seven gates in the wallwhich encircled Santiago;today this crossroads draws
the border between thesuburbs and old quarter ofthe city. By walking up thebusy Rúa do Franco we reachthe Colegio Mayor de Fonseca(23), a beautiful Renaissancebuilding begun in 1532. Thedoorway of the façade, splitinto two parts, and thePlateresque cloister with itscrenellations and curiousgargoyles, are the mostinteresting elements of thebuilding. Turning right at theend of the Rúa do Franco wereach the Square of Plateríaswhose southern end marks the
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Entrece
rcas
Avenida de Figueroa
Avda. Rodrigo de Padrón
Rúa de X
elmírez
Rúa Nova
Rúa da Caldereria
Rúa
das Orfas
Rúa
da S
enra
Bautizados
RúaFrancodoRúa da Raiña
Rúado Villar
Fonseca
Raxoi
Colexiodas Orfas
Colexiode San Clemente
Prazade Galicia
Rúa da C
onga
Trav. Fonseca
R. E
ntremurallas
Campoda Estrada
Praza dasPlaterías
Prazado Toral
iP
P
i
32
29
30
31
28
2726
2524
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V. The «Rúas»(The «Streets»)
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beginning of the colonnadedRúa do Vilar.
The first building on the left isthe Casa del Deán (TheDean’s Residence) (24), amagnificent example of aCompostela Baroque palace.This area has lost itsresidential character,becoming rather anadministrative centre. Nearthe end of the street, the Rúado Vilar is interrupted by theSquare of El Toral. One of theliveliest spots in the city, thesquare is dominated by thePalace of Bendaña (25),which was built at the end ofthe 17th Century. Gaps andbalconies stand out from thestone façade; at the top wecan see Atlas holding theworld which, according to apopular joke, he will let dropunder certain circumstances.
The narrow street of Entrerrúaswhich connects the Rúa delVilar and Rúa Nova is alsoprotected by colonnades. Bywalking up this street we reachthe Colegio de los Irlandeses(26). The Church of SantaMaría de Salomé (27) datesfrom the 12th Century. It wasrenovated in the 18th Centuryalthough its 15th Centurychapels have been preserved.The Annunciation on the
doorway, dating from the 14thCentury and the bell tower areworthy of note. This church islocated on the corner with thestreet Tras de Salomé whichsplits into the streets of Orfasand Calderería. The street ofCalderería is the shoppingstreet par excellence of the oldquarter.
The 16th Century buildingsituated between the twothoroughfares is the Palace ofFonseca (28), one of the fewexamples of lay Renaissancearchitecture left in the city.
Returning to the Rúa Nova,we come to the TeatroPrincipal (Main Theatre) (29)hidden under the colonnades.This Elizabethan buildingdating from 1841, recentlyrestored, is the centre ofcultural life in Santiago. TheNeoclassical building locatednear the end of the street isthe Palace of Mondragón(30), also called the Palace ofSanta Cruz. Opposite, theCasa de las Pomas, (House ofthe Apples) (31) Valle-Inclán’sfavourite building, derives itsname from the clusters of fruitand garland adornments onits façade. The Casa de laBalconada (32) stands on thecorner of the Rúa deGelmírez.
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Departing from the Conventsof Santa Clara and SantoDomingo, this itinerary takesus deeper into the morepopular areas of Compostela,where daily life runs itsnormal course- markets, theGeography and HistoryFaculties and old taverns. Wewill see people going abouttheir daily business in themidst of a city full ofmagnificent monuments.
The Convent of Santa Clara(33) is a cube-shaped stone
VI. From Santa Clarato the Universityskirting the old quarter
R.Castaños
Nov
a
Cos
ta
Avenida de Xoan XXIII
Tr.
Rúa
deTe
o
C. d
as T
rom
pas
Med
io d
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úaCaramoniña
Rúa de San Roque
Rúa Xazmins
Rúados
Loureiros
Ram
ónde
lVa
lleIn
clán
Rúa
das
Rod
as
Virxen d a CercaEnsinanza
Porta da Pena
Acibecheria
Preguntorio
San Agustín
Bispo
Xelm
irez
Rúa Nova
Rúa de Caldereria
RúaFranco
doR. da RaiñaRúa do Villar
Fonseca
Raxoi
Trinidade
C. do C
ristoR. S. FranciscoR. do Val de Dios
Costa Vella
Conventodel Carmen
Conventode San Francisco
MonasterioSan Martín
Pinario
Catedral
Monasteriode San Pelayo
Casa del Dean
Conventode la Ensinanza
Igrexa deSan Migueldos Agros
Capilla delas Animas
Museodel Pueblo
Gallego
Parque de Bonaval
Praza doObradoiro
de
Sta.Clara
Hos
pita
lillo
Ata
laia
Ent
rem
uros
Bonaval
Praza doInmaculadaMoeda Vella
Xerusalen
Troia
Praza deCervantes
Algalla de Abaixo
Portado Camiño
Praza daQuintana
Rúa da C
onga
Tafo
na
Trav. Fonseca
Praza deMazarelos
Casa dela Troya
Santa Maríadel Camiño
San Bento
Ant. CasaConsistorial
Casa de la Parra
Igrexa deSta María
Pazo delArzobispoXelmirez
deAlgalla
Arriba
Colexio deSan Jerónimo
HotelReyes Catolicos
(antiguo Hospital Real)
Pazode Raxoi(Ayto.)
Praza deAbastos
R. d
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an P
edro
PP
i
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33 34
35
36
37 38 39
4041
42 43
N
Convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval
building. The pointed pulpitcame from the old convent ofthe same name which waslocated on a different site.The most unique aspect of theconvent is the façade of theporter’s lodge which was builtby Simón Rodríguez in 1719.It gives off a feeling ofinstability enhanced by thecylinder which crowns thefaçade, whilst the paneledareas give a whimsical cubisttouch to the whole, makingthe structure the most originalexample of CompostelaBaroque.
At the other end of the Rúade San Roque stands theHospital of San Roque (34)which was founded in the16th Century during whenepidemics plagued the city.On the tympanum of thedoor, we see depictions ofSan Cosme and San Damián,the patron saints of health.The Rúa das Rodas or thecurious and narrow street ofEntremuros lead to the Portado Camiño where the door ofthe wall stood and the FrenchPilgrim’s Way began.
At the top of a small hill (theStreet of Santo Domingo), we
find the Convent of SantoDomingo Bonaval (35). Ithouses the Museo do PoboGalego (Museum of theGalician People) and thePanteón de Gallegos Ilustres(Pantheon of FamousGalicians), which contains,among others, Rosalía deCastro and Alfonso RodríguezCastelao, the two leadingfigures of Galician literature.The beautiful churchbelonging to the convent is arare example of Gothicarchitecture in Galicia. Nextto the convent anotherimpressive building has beenrecently erected, this timefinished in cement rather thanin stone, the Centro Galegode Arte Contemporáneo(Galician Contemporary ArtCentre) (36) which wasdesigned by the Portuguesearchitect Alvaro Siza,constituting the first moderninfluence in the old quarter.
In the Rúa del Santo Agostiñostands the Convent of theJesuites (37), founded in1617, with its interestingMannerist cloister. Thisbuilding now serves as astudent residence. The Churchof San Agustín (38), attached
19
to the convent, is ofChurriguaresque style. One ofits towers was destroyed bylightening and the other wasnever finished. In the middleof the hustle and bustle of theSquare of Abastos stand theRomanesque-inspired stonehalls which today house themarketplace. Constructedafter 1941, they respect theircontext and surroundings.
On the far side of the marketis San Fiz de Solovio (39), thefirst temple built in the city.Legend tells us that the hermitPaio, who discovered thesepulchre of St. James, residedhere. The Romanesque façadefeaturing the Epiphany on thetympanum is all that is left ofthe church founded by BishopSisnando in 900 A.D. Thepresent façade is the result ofdrastic renovation workscarried out in the 18thCentury. A small garden witha crossway separates San Fizfrom the Geography andHistory Faculty (40). ThisNeoclassical building datingfrom the end of the 18thCentury was designed to bethe headquarters of theUniversity. The continualrenovation works –at the turn
of the century a new floorwas added– have practicallyeradicated its original design.The library is worth visiting.Inside the Church of LaUniversidad, the mostexuberant and scandalousaltar-piece in Compostela,work of Simón Rodríguez in1720, climbs the wall andmetamorphoses into a ceiling.
The Arco de Mazarelos(Mazarelos Arch) (41) is theonly vestige remaining of thewalls which encircled the cityfor a thousand years. Thebuilding situated to the left isthe Casa de Valderrama (42).From the other side of thearch we can see the Conventof Las Mercedarias Descalzas(43), which dates from theend of the 18th Century, andthe church belonging to theconvent whose Baroquefaçade and dome are worthyof note.
20
Portal of San Fiz de Solovio
Other places of greatinterest to the visitor aresituated somewhat furtheraway from the old quarter ofSantiago.
. Belvís Convent (44).Belvís, which lies to the westof the old quarter of the city,is one of the most typicalneighbourhoods in Santiago.From the Church of San Fiz,the street of Las Trompasleads to the gates of theconvent which was built at the
VII. Other places ofinterest
Lugo
d e
Av e
ni d
a
Quiroga Palacios
Avda.
Rúa Belvis
Rúa de Andújar
Camino
da Ameixaga
O
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Rúa
do
Sar
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Rúado
OlvidoPesigo
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Pes
igo
deA
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a
Rúa
Cas
troD
ouroRúa Curros
Enriquez
López Ferreiro
Calexón das Trom
pas
Virxen da Cerca
Fonte de S. AntónPitelos
Rúa
de
Igrexade San Fiz
Conventode la Ensinanza
Convento dasMadres Mercedarias
Facultadde
Geografia
Río Sar
Rúa do Bispo
Batall
a
de
Clav
ixo
Praza deMazarelos
C. Are
nal
G. Blanco
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C. Pisón
R. Pérez Costantí
Rúa
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44
45 N
Collegiate Church of Santa Maria del Sar
end of the 17th Century.Preserved from the old 14thCentury building, the pictureof the Virgen del Portal is anobject of great devotion in thecity. The church stands outfrom the whole and containsan interesting altar-piece.During the local procession toSan Pedro Mártir it iscustomary to call at theconvent to ask for animalsand people to be cured.
. The Collegiate Church ofSanta María del Sar (45).At the corner of theMercedarias Descalzasbegins the street of Patio deMadres which later turns intothe street of Castrón d’Ouro.The street of Sar leads intothe Avenida de Lugo. It is akilometre’s walk to theCollegiate Church of SantaMaría del Sar, built in the12th Century. It was aTemplar convent, lepercolony, and collegiate churchbut is famous for its onedefect, the leaning of itscolumns, which produces afascinating optical effect. Thisis due to the unevenness of
the land on which thestructure is built, makingnecessary the addition ofexternal buttresses in the 18thCentury. The Romanesquecloister was built by the samearchitect responsible for thePórtico de la Gloria, themaster-craftsman Mateo. Asmall museum is located inthe cloister and vestry.
. The Convent of SantaMaría de Conxo (46).Somewhat further away, onthe outskirts of the city, liesthe Convent of Santa Maríade Conxo. Founded in 1129by Bishop Gelmírez, it wasrebuilt in the 17th Century.Only a part of the originalcloister remains. In thechurch, the sculpture ofSantiago Peregrino (Santiagothe Pilgrim) stands out. To theleft of the transept one canenter the chapel of Cristo deConxo; the effect of the ever-rising panels and theimperceptible casting of thepilasters and dome create amobility which make thechapel a real masterwork ofBaroque style.
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MUSEO Y TESORO DE LACATEDRAL (CathedralTreasure and Museum)It was founded as anArchaeological Museum afterthe discovery in the basementof the cathedral of the remainsof tombs, relief-works andstatues from the 11th and 16thCenturies. The libraryconserves manuscripts andincunabula as well as theenormous censer which isknown as the «Botafumeiro».The visit includes the cloistersof the cathedral, thechapterhouse, the crypt, thechapel of Relics and themarvelous collection of Flemishtapestries, dating from the 16thand 17th Centuries, Frenchtapestries from the 17thCentury and Spanish tapestriesfrom the 18th Century. Worthspecial notice are thoseelaborated from designs byRubens, Van Thulden,Teniers, Bayeu and Goya.
MUSEO DO POBO GALEGO(Museum of the GalicianPeople)The convent which houses thismuseum was built between the14th and 17th Centuries. Themuseum brings togethermaterials related to Galiciananthropology andethnography, with otherrooms dedicated to typicalarchitecture and traditional
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Museums andart centres
The opening hours are forguideline purposes only. Itis advisable to check at theTourist Offices or at themonuments or museums.Museo y Tesoro de la CatedralSantiago Cathedral Open: every day from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.; winter, from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. andfrom 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. ☎ 981 56 05 27
Museo do Pobo GalegoConvento de SantoDomingo de Bonaval Open: Monday-Saturday,from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Sundays andPublic Holidays closed ☎ 981 58 36 20
trades, using displays ofmodels, drawings andphotographs. A surprisinglypleasant visit. The Pantheonof Famous Galicians is locatedin the convent church.
CENTRO GALEGO DE ARTECONTEMPORÁNEO(Galician Contemporary ArtMuseum)Housed in a modern buildingdesigned by the Portuguesearchitect Alvaro Siza, thismuseum opened in 1993. Themuseum includes rooms fortemporary exhibitions,conferences and video-viewing, with preference givento the exhibition ofcontemporary art.
MUSEO DE LASPEREGRINACIONES(Pilgrimage Museum)This museum is housed in aGothic tower and modernbuilding. It contains a majorcollection of sculptures,paintings, gold and silver workand local handicrafts, allbased on subjects related tothe pilgrimages to Santiago deCompostela. It also boasts amagnificent collection of jettrinkets.
MUSEO DE ARTE SACRO(Museum of Religious Art)The monastery which wasbuilt in the 17th and 18th
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Centro Galego de ArteContemporéneoRúa Ramón del Valle-Inclán Open: Tuesday-Saturdayfrom 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.;Mondays closed☎ 981 54 66 19
Museo de lasPeregrinacionesRúa San Miguel, 4 Open: Tuesday to Friday:10 a.m.- 8 p.m. Saturdays:10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.and 5:00 p.m. - 8 p.m.Sundays and PublicHolidays:10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.Mondays: closed ☎ 981 58 15 58
Centuries was raised on thesite of another founded in the9th Century. The museum isentered through the conventchurch which has amagnificent altarpiece datingfrom the beginning of the 18thCentury. The museumcollection is made up ofvarious pieces of gold andsilver work, sculpture,paintings and donations fromnoblemen and religiousbenefactors.
MUSEO DE LA COLEGIATADE SANTA MARÍA DEL SAR(Museum of the CollegiateChurch of Santa María delSar)The church which houses themuseum is of 12th CenturyRomanesque style, comprisingthree naves constructed onpillars, and is supported byseveral large buttresses whichwere added in the 18thCentury. Its leaning columnsare an impressive sight. Thesmall museum brings togetherdocuments of great historicalvalue, such as a parchmentdating from 1136 A.D. sealedby Archbishop Diego Gelmírezand pieces from the oldcloister which are attributedto the master-craftsman Mateoand his school. It also containsother liturgical articles whichwere made in local workshopsin the 18th Century.
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Museo de Arte SacroMonasterio de San Paio deAntealtares Open: July, August andSeptember from 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. andfrom 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.;Saturdays from 4 p.m. to7.30 p.m.; closed duringthe rest of the year ☎ 981 58 31 27
Museo de la Colegiata deSanta María del Sar
Colegiata de Santa Maríadel Sar. Barrio del SarOpen: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. ☎ 981 56 28 91
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Various public and private art exhibitioncentres periodically hold temporaryexhibitions of paintings,sculpture, photography, etc.Those most worthy of noteinclude:
Auditorio de Galicia
Avenida Burgo das NaciónsOpen: from 12 a.m. to 7 p.m. ☎ 981 55 22 90 www.audigal.es
Museo do Poblo Galego
Convento de Santo Domingode Bonaval. Open: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.Sundays closed☎ 981 58 36 20
Galería Sargadelos
Rúa Nova, 16. Open: from10.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. andfrom 4.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. ☎ 981 58 19 05
Central-Hispano 20
Calle Alférez Provisional, 3and 5. Open: 15th June -15th September from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.; restof the year from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m and from 5.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. ☎ 981 59 01 50
Hostal de los Reyes Católicos
Square of El ObradoiroOpen: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Guided visits☎ 981 58 22 00
Sala Francisco Asorey
Facultad de Filosofía,Ciencias de la Educación yPsicología. Campus SurOpen: from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.☎ . 981 56 31 00
Aula de la Cultura de CaixaGalicia
Calle Carreira do Conde, 18Open: times depend on theexhibition ☎ 981 58 08 91
Casa da Parra
Square of La Quintana Open:from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. andfrom 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.Mondays closed☎ 981 54 58 09
Casa da Conga
Colegio Oficial deArquitectos de Galicia Square of La Quintana Open: from 5.00 p.m.to 7.00 p.m.☎ 981 58 01 00
Sala Fundación Araguaney
Hotel Araguaney Calle Montero Ríos, 25Open: times depend on theexhibition ☎ 981 55 96 00
Galería Trinta
Rúa do Hórreo, 30 Open: from 12.30 a.m. to2.30 p.m. and from 5.30p.m. to 9.00 p.m.Weekends arranged byappointment☎ 981 58 46 23
Galería Citania
Abadia de Abaixo, 93.
Casa de la Parra
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- The Alameda, Ferraduraand Carballeira de SantaSusana Promenades
Located between the oldquarter of the city and theuniversity campus, thepromenades of Carballeirade Santa Susana, Alamedaand Ferradura combinetraditional oak forests andromantic gardens withexotic species of flora. Inthe Carballeira (oakwood),on the top of an ancientCeltic hill-fort, stands theChurch of Santa Susana,the co-patron saint ofSantiago. The Alamedawalk dates from thebeginning of last century. Itis laid out around threepromenades separated bybeautiful iron-workbenches and camellia beds.A flight of steps leads up tothe Ferradura and theLetras Gallegas walk, aspectacular vantage pointoverlooking the universityand one of the mostpleasant views of the city.
- Parque de SantoDomingo de Bonaval
This park is located in theformer orchard, Romanticcemetery and other grounds
surrounding the convent ofBonaval. Laid out by thePortuguese architect AlvaroSiza and landscape-designerIsabel Aguirre according toa turn-of-the-century plan,the site includes of 30,000square metres of gardens,vantage-points, groves andareas dedicated to culturaland leisure activities. ThePuerta de la Música, a steelsculpture by EduardoChillida, is the emblem ofthe park.
- Parque de la Música
Laid out along the base ofthe Auditorio de Galiciabuilding, its pleasantmeadows border anartificial lake inhabited byswans and trouts.
- Parque de Belvís
Located on the stream-bedwhich crosses the street ofLas Trompas, this parkmakes part of the ambitiousproject which began withthe Bonaval gardens andwas later expanded toinclude the parks ofAlmáciga, Vite, Paxonaland Campus.
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Parks andGardens
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Cultural Activitiesand EntertainmentM usic- The Auditorio de Galicia (Galician Auditorium), seat ofthe Galician Symphony orchestra, offers a wide-rangingprogramme of music and classical dance throughout theyear. The opera season usually lasts from May to June,although some years it is brought forward to April.- Xornadas de Música en Compostela (Music days inCompostela), are dedicated to contemporary music. Theytake place during the first three weeks of August. Concertsare held in the Capilla Real del Hostal de los ReyesCatólicos (Hostal de los Reyes Católicos Royal Chapel)and at the Galician Auditorium.Auditorio de Galicia. Palacio de la Ópera, Exposiciones yCongresos. Avenida do Burgo das Nacions. ☎ 981 55 22 90.Hostal de los Reyes Católicos. Square of El Obradoiro. ☎ 981 58 22 00.
T heatre- There is a large variety of theatrical entertainment at theTeatro Principal throughout the year. Every year between22nd December and 5th January a special programme isorganized for children which includes the Children’sPuppet Festival (Festival Infantíl de Títeres).Teatro Principal. Rúa Nova, 21. ☎ 981 58 65 55.- During the second fortnight in July, coinciding with thecelebrations in honour of St. James the Apostle, the programme of musical and theatrical events becomesespecially intense, taking over public areas such as theSquares of El Obradoiro and La Quintana. The Jornadasde Folklore Gallego (Galician Folklore Days) and Festivalde Bandas Populares (Popular Music Bands Festival) alsotake place around this time. Cultural activity heats upagain during the month of May for the week-long fiestaswhich commemorate Ascension Day.
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C inema- There are 13 cinemas in Santiago. From the 1st to 30thNovember the Teatro Principal hosts the cinema festival,Cineuropa.
- Most of the antique-dealers are concentrated around thecathedral and the Square of San Martiño.
- The Galician Antique-Dealers’ Fair (Feria de Anticuariosde Galicia), the region’s most important event of its kind, isheld during the first fortnight of October.Anticuarios de Galicia. Hotel Araguaney. Calle MonteroRíos, 25. ☎ 981 55 96 00.
- Art galleries can also be found in the old quarter of thecity. Most of the bars and cafés in the old quarter holdexhibitions of contemporary Galician artists. Programmesare printed in the local newspapers.
- Campo de Golf del Aeroclub Lavacolla.Number of holes: 9. Par: 72.Carretera N-57, Santiago-Lugo road, 11 km. away, nearthe airport. ☎ 981 59 24 00.
Art Galleries andAntique-shops
For Golfenthusiasts
31
Eating andDrinking
Galician cuisine has a well-deserved reputation forquality, and, scatteredthroughout the old quarterand suburbs of Santiago liesome of the best restaurantsin Galicia. However, inGalicia, as in the rest ofSpain, before sitting down atthe table, it is still customaryto have an aperitif.Unquestionably the best areafor this practice is the oldquarter, along the streets ofFranco and Raíño. In thesuburbs, the best streets arethose surrounding the Squareof Roxa. Most of the wine-bars are also restaurants.
Fish is grilled, prepared in thecaldeirada or Galician-style -cooked and garnished withoil, garlic, and paprika the«empanada» (pie), featuredin refectory depictions, asearly as the 12th Century, isproduced in endless varieties.The most typical dishes for thewinter months include «lacóncon grelos» (shoulder of porkwith parsnip tops) and«cocido gallego» (Galicianhot-pot).
But it is the fish and shellfishfor which Galician cuisine ismost famous. The marketsoffer hundreds of varieties of
seafish, fresh-water fish andthe excellent mollusks andcrustaceans of the Galiciancoast. It would be a crime toforget to mention «pulpo» oroctopus which forms part ofevery fiesta in the region. Thecheeses are fresh andcreamy.
For dessert, specialtiesinclude «filloas» (a type ofcrepes) and «tarta dealmendras de Santiago»(Santiago almond torte) orany of the sweet-cakes whichfor centuries have beenspecially produced in theconvents by the nuns.
Wine is made throughoutGalicia. Usually they arewhite wines, young and fruity.The most outstanding whitesinclude Ribeiro, Valdeorrasand Albariño. Amandi is anexcellent red wine. Alsopopular are the homemadecoffee liqueurs andaguardientes (brandy), whichform the basic ingredients ofqueimada (a bowl of strongspirits which is lit orqueimada, literally «burnt»,and then slowly drunk).
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Shopping
The squares of Azabacheriaand Platerias owe their namesto the two most traditionalcrafts of Santiago. Workshopsmaking amulets and trinketsout of azabache or jet-stone, avariety of lignite, date back tothe 12th Century. The piecescrafted from plata, or silver,are also very different fromthose produced in Renaissanceand Baroque times. Since theturn of this century jet andsilver have been successfullycombined, resulting in greatvariety and originality ofdesigns. These beautifullycrafted pieces can be found inany of the shops around thecathedral.
It is also possible to buyregional ceramic-ware in theold quarter. The factory ofSargadelos, situated in themunicipality of Cervo, isparticularly renowned for itscharacteristic ceramic-ware.Camariñas, another town inLa Coruña region producesthe famous «encajes debolillos» (bobbin-lace), whichcan be bought everywhere inSantiago.
There are numerous places allaround the city which sell finefood-products. There aresome excellent cake-shops inthe streets of Alfredo Brañas,Vilar and Doctor Teijeiro.
The widest range of shops isfound in the suburbs wherethe shops are more modern.Most of the arcades along thestreet of Tras del Pilar featurethe new fashions by thesuccessful Galicán clothesdesigners. The new shoppingareas of the city are locatedin the neighbourhood ofCastiñeiriño and the Polígonode Fontiñas.
The cattle-market is attended by people from allover the region and is heldevery Wednesday inSalgueiriños, San Cayetano.Dealing takes place in thismarket, the most important inGalicia, from 5.30 a.m. tomidday. Behind the market,the «pulpeiras» (octopus-sellers) set up their standsserving octopus a feira andRibeiro wine as well asstrong aguadiente liqueur.On Thursdays a street marketvisits the same place.
Nothing is more pleasantthan slowly wanderingaround the old quarter ofSantiago, perhaps stoppingoff for a drink along the way.
Santiago night-life isrenowned throughout Galicia,especially Thursday eveningsduring term-time, as a resultof the special atmosphere theuniversity students bring to thecity. The old quarter andsuburbs offer two verydifferent milieus.
- Most of the bars and cafésin the old quarter wereestablished quite recently aspart of an attempt to makethe old part of the city morelively in the evenings. Eachestablishment has a distinctcharacter and has beendecorated with care, somehaving previously served aspalace stables or coachhouses. The music–psychedelic rock, jazz, folk–is played at volumes whichallow conversation.
Along the streets of Algalias,Virxe da Cerca and San Paiode Antealteares are a largenumber of bars and taverns.
Things really start to getgoing at around midnight.Nearly all of these bars, cafésor taverns display works bymodern Galician artists.
- The bars in the suburbstend to be more impersonaland noisy. Although they arescattered all around the city,the majority areconcentrated in the streetsRepública Argentina,Santiago de Chile, RamónCabanillas, Fernando III elSanto and San Pedro deMezonzo. During term-time,it is an impressive sight tosee the waves of youngpeople who flood into thearea on Thursday andFriday evenings, and it isnot surprising as most of theinhabitants of this part of thecity are students at theuniversity. Closing times arelater here than in the oldquarter.
- Nearly all of thediscotheques are locatedalong the roads leading outof the city.
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Night-Life
- The most important fiestas inSantiago are undoubtedlythose which take placearound the 25th July, Día dela Patria Galega (Galicia Day)and Día del Apóstol Santiago(Day of St. James theApostle). During the lastfortnight of July, popular andreligious celebrations andpolitics are mixed together.The City Council organizesan extensive cultural andentertainment programmewhich includes exhibitions,theatrical displays, street-shows and concerts featuringmusic of all kinds.In the Squares of El Obradoiroand La Quintana stages areerected to host the majority ofthe events scheduled duringfiesta time. In the evening of24th July, the eve of the greatday, there is an impressivefireworks display in the Squareof El Obradoiro. The mostsolemn religious ceremony isthe «Ofrenda del Rey alApóstol» (offering of the Kingto the Apostle), on the 25thand during which the famousBotafumeiro is employed.
- The other important localfiesta is La Ascensión which isheld in May or June (there isno fixed date) and lasts for aweek. These festivities areextraordinarily lively thanks,
primarily, to the students whotake part. Concerts, open-airdances, and informal theatreproductions take place alongwith the cattle fair and, ofcourse, mass at the cathedral,featuring the Botafumeiro.
- At the end of February orthe beginning of March theAntroido, or carnival, takesplace throughout the whole ofGalicia. These deeply rootedtraditions in Santiago attractthe participation of entireneighbourhoods.
- La Semana Santa, or HolyWeek, in March or April,features some especiallyinteresting processions suchas the Do Encontro Procession(procession to the meeting-place) on Good Friday andthe Os Caladiños Procession(the silent ones).
- Multitudinous gatherings ofreligious fervour are reservedfor the romerías (processionsto a local shrine) which areoften accompanied by open-air dances and celebrations.The most popular ones inSantiago are those of SanLázaro on 17th and 18thMarch, and those of SanMarcos and San Pedro Mártiron the 24th and 29th April,respectively.
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Fiestas ofgeneral interest
The main regional fairs takeplace at A Coruña,Pontevedra and other placesnear Santiago deCompostela.- Artestrada. Galician craftfair. La Estrada-Pontevedra.May.- Construgal. Construction,stone and other relatedindustries trade fair.Pontevedra. May.- Ferpalia. Tourism fair.Pontevedra. October.- Feria del Mueble de Galicia.Galicia furniture fair. LaEstrada-Pontevedra.September.- Mostrart. Popular arts andcrafts, art workshops, newhandicrafts. A Coruña. Firstfortnight in August.- Ofeitoaman. Popular artsand crafts, art workshops,new handicrafts. A Coruña.December-January.- Salón de Joyería Gallega.Galicia Jewellery Fair.A Coruña. October.
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TradeFairs
- Salón de la Energía yDesarrollo. Energy andDevelopment Fair. Silleda-Pontevedra. October.- Semana Verde de Galica.Galicia Environmental Week.Silleda-Pontevedra. May-June.- Turisport. Tourism, sportsand rural development fair.Silleda-Pontevedra. March.
Information: Confederaciónde Empresarios de Galicia.Rúa del Vilar, 54. Santiago de Compostela. ☎ 981 55 58 88.
The old quarter of the city is apedestrian area. Since thecity is quite small and thereare many places to visit, it isbest to see it on foot. Thesidewalks in the suburbs haveramps for wheel-chairs. Thereare no sidewalks in the oldquarter and the monumentsdo not offer many difficultiesto the disabled.
• Buses. There are 10 localbus routes which connect thecentre to the suburbs.Local buses. Information: ☎ 981 58 18 15
• Taxis. There arenumerous taxi ranks aroundthe city. Those located on thestreets Montero Ríos, ☎ 981 56 10 28and the Square of Roxa,☎ 981 59 59 64 offer 24-hour service.
• Car-parks. For thosewho come by car, there arecar-parks distributedthroughout the city. It iseasier to park in the newpart of the city than in theold quarter.
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Getting Aroundthe City
Postal andTelephone Services• Post Offices- Central Post Office (OficinaCentral de Correos yTelégrafos). Travesía de Fonseca☎ 981 58 12 52- Branch Post Office (RENFEstation): ☎ 981 59 66 18- Telegram messages byphone: ☎ 902 19 71 97
• Telephone Services- Local, national andinternational calls can bemade from phone-boxes allaround the city. It isadvisable to buy phonecards at the «tabac» shops (where you can alsobuy tobacco, stamps and stationary) or at thecentres belonging toTelefónica (Spanish TelecomOperator).
- Telefónica telephone centre:Calle Senra, 5
- There are numerous otherestablishments around the citywhich offer telephone and faxservices.Information abouttelephoning: 1003.International code whencalling from Spain: 00.
Emergency Services• Emergency MedicalAttention- General Hospital.☎ 981 54 00 00- National Health Clinic. CalleSantiago León de Caracas, 12☎ 981 52 70 00- Emergencies. (SOS Galicia)San Marcos ☎ 900 44 42 22and 981 54 14 00- Red Cross. Avenida de Lugo. ☎ 981 58 69 69- Galician Confederationfor the Handicappedand DisabledModesto Brocos, 7☎ 981 57 46 98
• Police- National Police. Rúa deRodrigo de Padrón. ☎ 091and ☎ 981 58 19 44
-- Local Police Calle Pazo Raxoi. ☎ 092and ☎ 981 54 23 23- Guardia Civil ☎ 981 58 16 11
• Fire Department
☎ 080 and 981 58 10 10
• Lost Property Officeand Local Police
☎ 981 54 23 23
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Square of Platerías
• From Noia to the Costa dela Muerte (Coast of Death).The C-543 road connectsSantiago to Noia, 30 km.away. In the beautiful oldquarter of this town you cansee numerous houses built bynoblemen with series ofGothic arches. TheRomanesque Church of SantaMaría a Nova has afascinating trade-guildcemetery. From Noia the C-550 runs along the river untilit reaches Muros. Streets withthe most romantic names formwhat is perhaps the best
preserved and most beautifultown on the Galician coast,comprising noblemen andsailor’s houses, all encircledby beaches. Leaving thebeach of Ézaro behind andhaving passing through Ceeand Corcubión, we reachFinisterre (Fisterra). BetweenCorcubión and Finisterrethere are also some excellentbeaches. Beyond thischarming fishing village is theCape of Finisterre (Fisterra),the western-most point inEurope. For centuries it wasbelieved to mark the end of
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Excursions fromSantiago
Finisterre beach
the world and it became aplace of worship for Celts,Romans and Christians. FromFinisterre to Malpica nearA Coruña runs the Costa daMorte (Coast of Death): sheercliffs and fiercely beautifulwild seas make up thiscoastline which is only brokenperiodically by unexpectedsandy beaches. The well-known pedra da abalar(abalar stone) which is linkedto prehistoric worshippingpractices and has also beenintegrated into the St. Jamestradition, can be seen atMuxía. Camariñas, situatedon the other side of theestuary, complements its localfishing industry with thebobbin-lace which is workedby the women of the village.Daily buses from Santiago toNoia, Muros, Corcubión,Fisterra and Vimianzo.Information at Turgalicia onthe Santiago-Noia road, 3 km. ☎ 981 53 54 25
• From Padrón to La Toja.According to legend, the boatwhich brought the remains ofSt. James called into port atIria Flavia, today known asPadrón. The town is also thebirthplace of the NobelPrizewinner for Literature,
Camilo José Cela. At themouth of the Ulla, at Catoira,the Towers of the West stand,the only remains of thefortress built by Alfonso V.The avenue of Rosalía deCastro joins the fishing villageof Carril with Vilagarcía deArousa, the main town on theestuary and importantbusiness centre. The Lobeiravantage point provides anoutstanding view of the area.The Deiro turn-off on the C-550 road leads, across aspectacular bridge, to theIsland of Arousa and itseighty beaches. Continuingalong the C-550, we soonreach Cambados, theprincipal Albariño wine-making centre and location ofa «Parador de Turismo» orState Hotel. The sophisticatedSquare of Fefiñáns comprisesthe Galician country house ofFigueroa and the Church ofSan Bieito. The ruins of SantaMariña D’Ozo contain asailors’ cemetery, and thesmall island of Figueirapreserves two 10th Centurytowers. O Grove was anisland until the 16th Century;the isthmus which joins it tothe mainland forms thefamous beach of A Lanzada.A bridge connects O Grove to
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the island of La Toja, one ofthe most important tourist sitesin Galicia.Tourist Information: Vilagarcíade Arousa. ☎ 986 51 01 44Tourist Information:O Grove.☎ 986 73 15 54
• Barbanza. This is thename of the peninsula whichcomprises the Muros andArousa estuaries, betweenNoia and Padrón. Along thecoastline which is broken upby the mountain rangewhich shapes it, the roughcliffs are alternately brokenup by ports and sandybeaches. From Noia we canreach Portosín and Porto do
Son with the beach ofAguieira in-between. InBaroña there are someimportant remains of a Pre-Roman settlement. FromOleiros, via the dolmen ofAxeitos, we reach the capeand beach of Corrubedoand the lagoons of Carregaland Vixán. The naturalsurroundings are extremelyrich throughout this wholearea. Aguiño, Ribeira, Pobrado Caramiñal and Boiro facethe estuary of Arousa. TheCurota vantage point, whichcan be reached from Pobrado Caramiñal, affords someof the best views in Galicia.
• The French Road toSantiago. Among the seven
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La Toja. Spa
routes which led to Santiago,the French route was the onetaken by most of the pilgrims.The European Council hasrecognized it as the firstcultural itinerary in Europe.From Villafranca del Bierzo toSantiago the road is notmarked by any greatmonuments except for Samosand Portomarín, but the routeruns through someextraordinary scenery. Themain stages of the journeywithin Galicia, departingfrom Santiago, are: Lavacolla,Arzúa, Melide, Palas de Rei,Monterroso, Portomarín,Sarria, Samos, Tricastela,Cebreiro and Pedrafita doCebreiro.
• La Ribeira Sagrada delMiño. The river Miño and itstributary the Sil are the twomain rivers in Galicia. Theexpression «RibeiraSagrada» (Sacred Bank)refers to the large number ofmonasteries (mosteiros inGalician) situated on theupper Sil basin. It was laterextended to include thebanks of the Miño where thenumber of mostlyRomanesque monasteries iseven larger. The countrysideranges from the vineyardterraces of Chantada to theindigenous oak woods. FromSantiago, the N-525 leads toLalín and from therecontinues on to Taboada. In
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Lugo. Monastery of San Julián de Samos
the surrounding area we canfind the RomanesqueChurches of San Pedro deBembibre, Taboada dosFreires and, on the other sideof the Belesar reservoir, theChurch of San Vitorio deRibas de Miño. Chantada,squeezed between the Miñocanyon and the O Faromountain range, has a lovelytown centre of colonnadednarrow streets. From thispoint the visitor will discovermany fascinatingmonasteries. Near theBelesar dam is theMonastery of Santa Maríade Pesqueiras; to the southare the Monastery of San
Salvador de Asma and theSanguñedo oakwood. Alonga meandering stretch of theMiño river we find theMonastery of Santa Maríade Nogueira, on the roadwhich leads to Os Pearesand where the Sil flows intothe Miño. On the other sideof the Sil, travelling in thedirection of Monforte, theMonastery of San Vicenzode Pombeiro is situated in abeautiful spot. San Estevo deAtán, a monastery foundedin the 8th Century, is difficultto get to. Following the roadto Monforte we arrive atFerreira de Pantón. Nearhere, the Castle of Masideand the Monasteries of SantaMaría and San Fiz deCangas are worth visiting.On the road to Fión, behindthe 18th Century Galiciancountry house of Ferreiroá,we find the Temple of SanMiguel de Eiré which iscalled «El mosteiro» becauseit is so ancient. From Fión itis possible to go down to theTemple of San Martiño daCova. To finish, twooutstanding monasteries areSan Paio de Diomondi andSan Estevo de Ribas deMiño. For this excursion it isbest to go by car.
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Monforte de Lemos. Roman bridge
• El Pico Sacro (Sacred Peak)and the Galician countrypalaces. Going from Lestedo,12 km along the Santiago-Orense road, there is a turn-offwhich leads to Pico Sacro, aspot which is shrouded inlegend and whose summitaffords a vast panoramic viewwhich stretches from the valleyof Ulla to Arosa. Returningagain to the main road wesoon reach the Ribadulla turn-off, which is where the pazos(palaces) route begins. Herewe find the 16th Century Pazode Santa Cruz and Pazo deGimaráns in the neighbouringparish of San Mamede. Acrossthe river Ulla at Valboa is the
famous Pazo de Oca, wherethe visitor can walk around thegardens which have given thepalace the nickname,somewhat exaggeratedperhaps, of the GalicianVersailles. The visit is free.
• A Coruña. Located at 65km from Santiago and capitalof the province, A Coruñahas a population of 250,000inhabitants and is a keypolitical, economic andcultural centre in Galicia. Ithas some magnificentbeaches in the centre of thetown and is an importantport. The most characteristicmonument is the Torre de
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Pontevedra. Gardens of the Pazo de Oca
Hércules (Hercules Tower), aRoman lighthouse which waspartially restored in the 18thCentury and still works today.There are many corners of theold quarter which areespecially interesting, such asthe series of monumentswhich include the Pazo deCornide, the Gothic Transeptand the Collegiate Church ofSanta María do Campo. Theavenue of La Marina featuresa beautiful collection ofgallery-windowed houses. Onthe way to the Castle of SanAntón, which houses theArchaeological Museum, thenew Paseo Marítimo (SeaPromenade) stretches out.Recently inaugurated and
designed by the Japanesearchitect Isozaki, Domus isthe Museum of Mankind. It islocated on a stretch of thePaseo Marítimo, beforereaching the Torre deHércules. The Casa de lasCiencias (Science Museum) isin the park of SantaMargarita. Just 65 km awayfrom Santiago, La Coruña isrenowned as a lively town atany time of the year.
You can get there via the A-9motorway or the main N-550road. Numerous trains andbuses link the two cities. A Coruña Tourist Office:Calle Dársena de la Marina. ☎ 981 22 18 22.
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A Coruña. Sea promenade
International dialling code: 34Tourist Information TelephoneTurespaña: 901 300 600www.tourspain.esMunicipal Tourist Office Plaza de Galicia ☎ 981 58 44 00 and ☎ 981 57 39 90Xunta de Galicia Tourist OfficeRúa del Villar, 43 ☎ 981 58 40 81
Municipal Citizens’ Information OfficePlaza de la Trinidad. ☎ 010
PARADORES DE ESPAÑAReservation CentreRequena, 3 - 28013 Madrid☎ 91 516 66 66Fax 91 516 66 57www.parador.esParador Hotel Reyes Católicos☎ 981 58 22 00Fax 981 56 30 94
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Tourist Information
SPANISH TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES ABROADCanada. Toronto. Tourist Office of Spain.2 Bloor Street West suite 3402. TORONTO, Ontario M4W 3E2. ☎ 1416/ 961 31 31, fax 1416/ 961 19 92. E-Mail: [email protected] Britain. London. Spanish Tourist Office. Manchester Square, 22-23. LONDON W1M 5AP. ☎ 44207/ 486 80 77, fax 44207/ 486 80 34. E-Mail: [email protected]. Tokyo. Tourist Office of Spain.Daini Toranomon Denki Bldg.4F. 3-1-10 Toranomon. Minato-Ku. TOKIO-105. ☎ 813/ 34 32 61 41, fax 813/ 34 32 61 44. E-Mail: [email protected]. Moscow. Spanish Tourist Office.Tverskaya – 16/2 Business Center “Galeria Aktor” 6th floor Moscow 103009. ☎ 7095/ 935 83 99, fax 7095/ 935 83 96. E-Mail: [email protected]. Singapore. Spanish Tourist Office.541 Orchard Road. Liat Tower # 09-04. 238881 Singapore.☎ 657/ 37 30 08, fax 657/ 37 31 73. E-Mail: [email protected] States of America. Los Angeles. Tourist Office of Spain.8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 960. BEVERLY HILLS, CAL 90211. ☎ 1323/ 658 71 95, fax 1323/ 658 10 61. E-Mail: [email protected]. Tourist Office Of Spain.Water Tower Place, suite 915 East. 845, North Michigan Avenue. CHICAGO, IL 60.611. ☎ 1312/ 642 19 92, fax 1312/ 642 98 17. E-Mail: [email protected]. Tourist Office of Spain.1221 Brickell Avenue. MIAMI, Florida 33131. ☎ 1305/ 358 19 92, fax 1305/ 358 82 23. E-Mail: [email protected] York. Tourist Office of Spain.666 Fifth Avenue 35 th floor. NEW YORK, N.Y. 10103. ☎ 1212/ 265 88 22, fax 1212/ 265 88 64. E-Mail: [email protected]
EMBASSIES IN MADRIDCanada: Núñez de Balboa, 35. ☎ 91 431 43 00, fax 91 431 23 67Great Britain: Fernando El Santo, 16. ☎ 91 319 02 00, fax 91 308 10 33Japan: Serrano, 109. ☎ 91 590 76 00, fax 91 590 13 21Rusia: Velázquez, 155. ☎ 91 562 22 64, fax 91 562 97 12United States of America: Serrano, 75. ☎ 91 587 22 00, fax 91 587 23 03
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MINISTERIO DE ECONOMÍA
SECRETARÍA DEESTADO DE COMERCIO Y TURISMOSECRETARÍA GENERAL DE TURISMO
TURESPAÑA
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
European Regional Development Fund